North Dakota Legislature: Burgum signs abortion revisions bill, tax cut package getting close

(Bismarck, ND) -- The 68th legislative session is coming to a close, and that means more major legislation is working through Bismarck.

One of which is revisions being made to North Dakota's abortion laws.

Governor Doug Burgum signed a bill Monday clarifying language on the state's near-total abortion ban. Burgum says the bill "reaffirms North Dakota as a pro-life state." The measure reflects changes to the 2007 trigger ban, which is being challenged in court, and the 2013 "heartbeat bill," banning abortions after six weeks into a pregnancy. The new law took effect immediately.

In the meantime, leaders in the North Dakota House and Senate have reached an agreement on a massive tax cut package.

An all-Republican panel from each chamber agreed to a measure that would slash income taxes and establish property tax credits for homeowners. The plan now goes to the full House and Senate for approval.

The House is advancing a bill that would prohibit credit card companies from using special codes to track sales of guns and ammunition.

The bill would ban financial companies from declining the credit card purchase of a legal gun or ammunition solely because of a firearms code. The measure also says companies can't use merchant codes to track or suppress a person's right to buy guns or ammunition.

And Governor Burgum is signing legislation related to the Pledge of Allegiance.

Burgum signed a bill Monday that requires governing bodies such as schools, cities, and park districts to give members a chance to say the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of meetings. The governor called on legislators to draft the bill after the Fargo School Board chose to stop saying the pledge. That decision was later reversed.